Steak & New Potato Toss Recipe

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1 pound small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges
1-1/4 pounds beef top sirloin steak
3 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped

VINAIGRETTE:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, grill steak, covered, over medium heat for 8-11 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145°; medium, 160°; well-done, 170°). Let stand for 10 minutes before thinly slicing across the grain.

Place broccoli florets in a steamer basket. Place in a saucepan over 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and steam for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. In a small bowl, combine vinaigrette ingredients.

Drain broccoli and potatoes; place in a large bowl. Add beef and red pepper; drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to coat. Serve warm or cold.

Comments:
This was good. Adam thought the steak was overdone, which it probably was for him, but that's my fault because I can't stand meat that's red. The sauce is really light and complements the different elements of the dish.

Steak Burritos

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
2 beef flank steaks (about 1 pound each)
2 envelopes taco seasoning
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1 tablespoon white vinegar
10 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1-1/2 cups chopped seeded plum tomatoes
3/4 cup sour cream

Directions:
Cut steaks in half; rub with taco seasoning. Place in a 3-qt. slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Top with onion, chilies and vinegar.

Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove steaks and cool slightly; shred meat with two forks. Return to slow cooker; heat through.

Spoon about 1/2 cup meat mixture down the center of each tortilla. Top with cheese, tomato and sour cream. Fold ends and sides over filling.

Comments:
These were easy and pretty good. Not sure I'd make them again - the taco seasoning was kind of overpowering and I halved the recipe and didn't even use one whole envelope. I might just stick with an onion soup kind of base instead.

Cheesesteak Kebabs

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
1/2 pound sirloin steak, cut into 8 strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into 16 pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 ounces crusty bread, cut into cubes

Directions:
1. Preheat a grill to medium-high. In a medium saucepan, heat half of the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Lower the heat to medium and slowly whisk in the milk until the mixture thickens and starts to boil. Stir in the cheese until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.

2. Thread the steak onto 4 skewers. Divide the bell pepper among 4 more skewers. Brush the pepper and beef with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Divide the bread among 4 more skewers and brush with the remaining butter. Arrange the bread and peppers on the grill and cook, turning, until charred on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange the steak on the grill and cook, turning once, for about 3 minutes for medium. Serve the kebabs with the cheese sauce for dipping.

Comments:
This recipe is pretty much for fondue. You cut up the meat, pepper, bread and grill them while making a cheese sauce for dipping. It wasn't bad, just not really what I think of when I hear "cheesesteak."

Mongolian Beef

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon chile paste with garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 pound sirloin steak, thinly sliced across the grain
16 medium green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces

Directions:
1. Combine first 8 ingredients, stirring until smooth.

2. Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced ginger, minced garlic, and beef; sauté for 2 minutes or until beef is browned. Add green onion pieces; sauté 30 seconds. Add soy sauce mixture; cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Comments:
I skipped the hoisin and sherry, but otherwise stuck to the plan pretty well. Wonderful, although Adam got a big bite of chili paste right off the bat and almost died (his words, not mine.) It's a bit spicy in mass quantities. Anyway, I'd definitely do this one again. I served it over gnocchi instead of the suggested egg noodles and that worked really well.

Beef Bulgogi

From All Recipes.com



Ingredients:
1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Place the beef in a shallow dish. Combine soy sauce, sugar, green onion, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and ground black pepper in a small bowl. Pour over beef. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate.

3. Quickly grill beef on hot grill until slightly charred and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Comments:
I was surprised by how much I liked this. I'm not usually one for steak in any form, but the marinade (I prepped it about 6 hours before we cooked it) was wonderful and had phenomenal flavor. It's so simple and uses such basic ingredients. Fabulous.

Carne Asada Taco with Avocado Pico de Gallo

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 medium)
1 (1-pound) skirt steak, trimmed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
Cooking spray
1 cup diced seeded plum tomato
1/4 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon diced seeded jalapeño pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup diced avocado (about 1 medium)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
8 corn tortillas
Lime wedges (optional)

Directions:
1. Combine 1/4 cup juice and steak in a shallow dish. Sprinkle cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and red pepper over both sides of steak. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 3 hours.

2. Heat grill pan over high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand at least 10 minutes. Cut steak into 1/2-inch pieces.

3. Combine tomato and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a bowl. Gently stir in avocado and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

4. Heat tortillas over gas flame 15 seconds on each side or until charred on edges. Divide steak evenly among tortillas. Top with pico de gallo. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Comments:
Adam cooked the meat on the grill outside, our avocado was questionable so I tossed it, but other than that I pretty much stuck to the plan (minus the cilantro, flour tortillas rather than corn.) It was too spicy for me, but Adam loved it. Typical.

Marinated London Broil

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (2-pound) boneless top round steak, trimmed
Cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Combine first 8 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Pierce steak with a fork. Add steak to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning every 30 minutes.

2. Preheat broiler.

3. Remove steak from bag; discard marinade. Scrape shallots and garlic from steak; discard shallots and garlic. Place steak on broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle steak evenly with salt and pepper. Broil 4 inches from heat for 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.

Comments:
I had vacation this afternoon (and all next week - woo!) so I had the time to marinate this for two hours, turning every half hour. I cooked it 6 minutes each side on the high broil setting and this is how it came out. A little under-done for my tastes (I'm a "no red, absolutely no chance of my food moo-ing at me" kind of girl) but Adam liked it. He was more taken by the cornbread stuffing. Yes, Stove Top, but we'd never had the cornbread stuff. I think I probably picked up a box by mistake, but he is now insisting we get more. *sigh*

Adam Cooks: Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Gorgonzola

From Rachael Ray via Foodnetwork.com



Ingredients:
4 (1 1/2-inch-thick) beef tenderloin steaks
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound Gorgonzola
4 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced

Directions:
Let meat rest 10 minutes before beginning dinner preparation.

Place a large, flat griddle or skillet over high heat. When hot, using a pair of tongs and a folded paper towel, wipe cooking surface with oil and place steaks on hot pan. Caramelize the steaks, 2 minutes on each side. Reduce heat to moderate. Season meat with salt and pepper and cook 4 to 5 minutes longer on each side.

Preheat broiler to high.

Arrange steaks on baking sheet. Top each steak with 3 ounces Gorgonzola. Place baking sheet 6 inches from broiler heat just long enough to melt the cheese. Remove meat from the oven and top with slivers of fresh sage. Let meat rest 2 or 3 minutes, then serve immediately.

Comments:
What did I tell you - the man loves his steak. Part of mine wasn't done enough for me, but the parts I did eat were pretty tasty. Some of the comments on the recipe post on the website critized using such a strong cheese. Yes, gorgonzola is stinky and has a very distinct flavor. If you don't like it, you probably won't like this recipe. Duh.

Adam Cooks: Steak

From Beer Cookbook: 101 Recipes with Beer



Ingredients:
6 12oz New York strip steaks
1 12oz bottle dark beer
1/2 c brown sugar
6 tbsp lime juice
4-6 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
3 tbsp whole grain mustard

Directions:
Place steaks in a single layer in a glass baking dish. Whisk beer, sugar, lime juice, garlic, Worcestershire, olive oil, hot sauce and mustard in a large bowl to blend. Pour marinade over steaks. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. Remove steaks from marinade and grill to desired doneness.

Comments:
He sure does like his red meat. I can't say that I'm too much of a fan. But since the menu is up to him on Sundays, I eat what he makes. I figure I get to torture him 6 out of 7 days, so it's only fair to even things up a little bit.

Adam Cooks: Steak Salad Stuffed Pockets

From EatingWell.com via Yahoo! Food



Ingredients:
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound top round steak, 1 1/2 inches thick, trimmed
4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
1 medium cucumber, diced
1 large tomato, diced
8 small (4 inch) whole-wheat pitas, split open

Directions:
Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.

Whisk lemon juice, oil, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Place steak in a shallow dish and pour half the dressing over it. Let marinate at room temperature, turning once, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the salad by adding lettuce, cucumber and tomato to the remaining dressing in the bowl; toss to coat.

Transfer the meat to a broiling pan. Broil for 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare, or until it reaches desired doneness. Transfer to a cutting board, let rest for 3 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain. Mix the meat with the salad and fill each pita. Serve immediately.

Comments:
Bwahahaha! He set the smoke alarm off again!

Anyway, these were good. A nice, all-in-one meal. He decided to go with flatbread rather than pita pockets and I think I would have stuck with the pockets. It was kind of difficult to eat with all the stuff falling out. He points out that he didn't have that problem due to his huge hands. I'm resisting making an ape comment here. I'm so restrained... Anywho. Outside of the mess, they were a great meal.

Adam Cooks: Strip Steaks with a Side of Blue Cheese Spaghetti

From Rachael Ray via Foodnetwork.com



Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces
Salt
1 pound spaghetti
4 (8-ounce) NY strip steaks
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
5 tablespoons butter, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 to 1/3 cup cream or half-and-half, eyeball it
8 ounces blue cheese crumbles
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped sage leaves
2 tablespoons chives, chopped, a palm full
2 cups arugula, a small bunch, cleaned, trimmed and shredded

Directions:
Put a large pot of water on the stove to bring to a boil for pasta.

Preheat broiler to high with rack on top shelf.

Preheat medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped bacon and cook until crisp.

Salt water for pasta and add spaghetti to the pot. Cook to al dente, with a bite to it.

Season the steaks with salt and pepper on both sides and arrange on slotted broiler pan.

Remove bacon to paper towel lined plate with a slotted spoon and drain off most of the fat, return pan to heat and reduce heat to medium. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan and 1 tablespoon butter. When butter melts into extra-virgin olive oil, add in 2 cloves garlic and the shallots, saute for 3 minutes.

Arrange steaks on the broiler pan. Place under broiler - leave door to oven cracked ajar to limit flare ups and smoke. Cook 4 minutes on each side for medium rare, up to 5 to 6 minutes on each side for medium well doneness.

To the garlic and shallots, add in flour and cook a minute more. Whisk in stock, bring to a bubble, about 30 seconds then stir in the cream. When cream comes to a bubble, add in blue cheese and sage and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir until cheese melts. Reduce heat to lowest setting.

Soften 4 tablespoons butter in microwave on high for 15 seconds. Mix in chives and 2 cloves minced garlic and reserve.

Remove steaks from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Place 1/4 of the chive and garlic butter mixture on each steak to melt down over the meat as they rest.

Drain pasta and toss with sauce to coat and combine evenly. Taste to adjust seasoning.

Serve steaks with pasta alongside. Scatter the arugula and bacon bits across the top of the pasta.

Comments:
Now this is what I'm talking about with the "Adam makes dinner" thing! He actually got in the kitchen and cooked. This was wonderful. He even set the smoke alarm off and had to open the windows so it's good that it's not just me who does that. :)

Now obviously we made some substitutions (like farfalle for spaghetti) and omissions (no arugula or chives.) I wasn't in the kitchen while he cooked so I can't say how religiously he followed the rest of the recipe, but it tasted great so it's all good with me.